Eternal Time, Evanescent Wind
by The Silverdark Knight
Summary: There is a darkness in the Great Sea... The King of Evil has come, hoping to gain even more power than before. The Heroes of Time and Winds must join forces and stop this vile scheme, but there isn't much hope. After all, who can stop two Ganons? HIATUS
1. Prologue

_Evil once hidden beneath the depths rises again to challenge the hero who mastered the world's breath. Joined with memories past, he seeks to bring the world back into darkness not seen for centuries. The world's, and the hero's, only hope is to resurrect the one for whom time held no sway. Thus the quest begins, and all prayers must be said. Hope for the best, because if hope, and courage, falter…_

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**I'm back now, with a new name, and a revamped story. I'd like to thank 'The Dmgirl' for being my beta. Review, because I know that you want to.**


	2. The Hero and the King

**Hello. Sorry for the long delay, but I don't have an internet connection at home. So, the Thanksgiving Holidays really put a damper on my plans to update. On the upside, I'm giving you guys this new chapter. Don't get annoyed by the length because in the first ETEW, I wrote even less.**

**I'd like to give thanks to The Dmgirl for being my beta, and giving me a hell of a lot of help on this, and Zairos, for reviewing my prologue.**

**And now... ON WITH THE SHOW!**

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The Hero of Time fought a losing battle against the King of Evil. He had rushed into battle without pause for rest, and now, he would pay for his haste.

"I WILL PREVAIL, BOY!" Ganondorf bellowed at the young hero, flinging orbs of dark energy. "You cannot continue for much longer!" The Great Hall in which they battled shook with the force of their clash. The stained glass windows that ran the length of the hall cracked and shattered, adding more danger to the titanic struggle.

Link stumbled as one of the orbs struck his shield. He brought up the Master Sword and swung at the next one, batting it back to Ganondorf who knocked it aside as though it were nothing more than a light feather carried by the breeze.

Ganondorf, who had been seemingly hovering in the air, suddenly swept down with ferocious speed and rammed into Link.

The young boy was sent flying to the back of the Great Hall. Leaning back against the wall, he tried to see through the blood that trickled into his eyes born from a cut in his forehead. The young man struggled to lift his sword and shield as the dark wizard sauntered up to him.

"Look at you," he sneered. "Hyrule's great Hero of Time!" He grabbed Link by the neck of his tunic and lifted him forcibly. "Pathetic," he muttered, as both shield and sword fell from Link's hands. The young man feebly resisted, but he knew it was useless; the battle was over now.

"You have something I want, boy." Ganondorf was nearly whispering, as though he wanted no one else to hear. "Something that would make my rule over Hyrule absolute… something that I can use to make my rule last forever!" he roared out, and slammed Link violently into the wall, leaving a massive crack in it, before throwing the hero behind him. Link crumpled in an unconscious heap almost thirty feet away.

Ganondorf slowly walked over to the boy, savoring the sight of a hero at death's door. _One swing of my sword, and he would be no more,_ he thought. _But no, I must resist. With my plan, it will not matter when I kill him. It will end the same._ The dark king searched through the blond's belongings. Finally, he found what he had been looking for.

"Yess," he breathed. "That which is more powerful than any weapon ever forged is now mine!" He brought the Ocarina of Time to his lips and played a haunting melody that had once been lost for centuries, buried under the memories of time: the Song of Eternity.

Immediately, Ganondorf was enveloped in a white vortex. Images flashed before his eyes, the memories of the people of the world. He saw their past, their present, and their future. As he reached for Link's memories, though, he saw something that made him hesitate. He could see himself. He saw his life. He saw his past, with the Gerudos, conquering Hyrule. And then he saw himself once more.

In the future.

He was fighting against the boy once more. But, no, wait. He was much older, and dressed differently. The Link in this fight was different as well. He seemed so much younger, and Ganondorf wasn't sure if this Link was even Hylian. They were in a small pit, with water crashing around them. The king thought he saw a prone figure near the edge of the waterfall.

There was no mistaking the Master Sword in the boy's hands, however, or the Triforce burned into his hand. He was another Hero, sent to stop his plans from coming to fruition. Ganondorf watched the two fight, their blades clashing together. The young boy was doing nothing more than parrying. Ganondorf's other self was quick to counter against anything else.

The dark king was ecstatic; his other self was close to victory. But a Light Arrow came from nowhere and struck his other self. Ganondorf could almost feel the pain. The other was paralyzed, unable to move.

The other Link charged up to the paralyzed Ganondorf, bringing the Master Sword to bear. He leapt and plunged the sword into Ganondorf's forehead.

His fate was sealed. The other Ganondorf slowly turned to stone, sealed once more by the Master Sword as waters enveloped him.

He was shocked. Once again he had been stopped. Once again he was sealed.

Once again, he lost.

And a new plan hatched in his diabolical mind. He leapt into the whirling winds of the vortex, but he had miscalculated in his rush. He was thrown further into the future.

A year had passed…

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**So, did you all like the chapter? It isn't hard to review, folks, so please do!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda, or any characters, locations, and items, unless otherwise marked as my own. This disclaimer applies to all chapters.**


	3. Sunsets and Troubles

**I was reading through this chapter and decided that it wasn't up to par with some of my latest chapters. So I added a bit and changed some things that I felt did the chapter justice.**

**Hopefully.**

**I give credit for improving my writing skill to The Dmgirl, my beta and a wise dispenser of knowledge.**

**XxXxX**

The sun set slowly over the vast ocean that surrounded Outset Island. Its fiery rays cast an orange and pinkish hue over the small houses that dotted the shoreline. One house in particular sat very close to the edge, its balcony jutting over the clear water. And leaning against the balcony window was a young girl, no older than ten. Her name was Aryll, and she was waiting for her older brother, Link, the Hero of Winds, to come home.

She sighed as the wind passed through the open window, flipping around whatever strands of blonde hair weren't bunched into her pigtails. Her grandmother was behind her, softly singing a beautiful tune as she prepared their dinner. Soup, but it wasn't her famous elixir soup as the young blonde knew her grandmother jealously guarded the recipe. Aryll had yet to be unceremoniously evicted from the premises.

It was getting ridiculous that even though the true danger had long passed, Link stayed out paddling around in his small boat later and later with each passing day. Sometimes he came in after dark had settled and the boldest of the Miniblins roamed around. She sighed once more, catching her grandmother's attention.

"Aryll, you mustn't worry for him," she said to her unmoving granddaughter. "Link is more than capable of protecting himself." With a huff of indignation, the elderly woman spun Aryll around with surprising force, but it was the wooden spoon in her face that made Aryll listen. "And if you keep worrying, you'll only make yourself ill. I speak from experience," she added as an afterthought. The illness in question was still a sore point for all three members of the family.

Aryll said nothing as she turned back to the window and her grandmother almost returned to her dinner before Aryll finally spoke up. "I'm going to the watchtower, grandma," she said, and she went to the door. But before the door closed, Aryll said, "don't worry," with only a hint of an ironic smile.

Melise could only groan as her granddaughter skipped away in melodic laughter.

XxXxX

Link, looking worse for the wear, hastily clambered out of the cavern he had accidentally discovered. Infested with monsters, he had had precious little time to escape death before the ceiling collapsed, barreling through a gate to survival. The conditions of the cave had been simple for him to figure out: defeat the enemies before the ceiling came down, and live. It wasn't until Link saw the Wizzrobes appear that the battle became furiously chaotic.

"_Morths and Wizzrobes_," he muttered to himself. "Never again… Damn creatures," he added for emphasis. "How can I fight when I can barely move and Moblins are coming at me from every side?!" His lifeless boat, though, offered no advice. It was stranded on the shore only a few feet away. He uncorked a bottle pulled from one his many pockets and drank the last dose of his grandmother's famous elixir soup, letting its astounding recuperative powers work on his body.

The island, he noted as he rested, was expanding. On the eastern half of the island, his current position, a beach was slowly winding its way around the far shore, forming as the steep cliffs collapsed. A like shoreline had already formed on the western half, encroaching under his home's balcony. Meanwhile, sand, rocks, and washed-up debris was collecting around the pillars supporting a bridge that Link reckoned would be obsolete in as little as three years.

His strength had returned. He pushed the boat back into the water and paddled off. He sighed, watching the sunset sparkle over the clear blue water. He missed sailing, but this boat couldn't support the rigging for a sail. The villagers had given it to him to go around the island because fear lingered, and the hero needed to reassure them that they were safe. That in itself was the main reason he didn't just sail away. As their hero, he had a duty to fulfill.

"It's not as though monsters come up every second," he said to nothing in particular. "Except for this cave and the occasional trip through the Savage Labyrinth, I've had no serious fights. And it's not like the villagers can't handle the left over Chu Chus." He paddled up to the watchtower ladder and tied his boat securely to a post. As he stepped off, however, he saw an all-too familiar silhouette in the sun and froze.

"LIINK!" Aryll's sharp cry snapped Link from his momentary trance and he spun around quickly- completely forgetting that while one foot was securely atop the stable dock, his other foot was firmly set on a boat that heaved around in even the calmest of seas.

Link tumbled in to the shallow water and watched as both Aryll and the King of Red Lions came to the very end of the dock.

**XxXxX**

**Let me know if this is a better chapter than the one from before.**

**The only way to do so is to review, and I should remind people that I do accept anonymous reviews.**


	4. Timeless

**Once more, I bring you all a new chapter. At least it didn't take so long...**

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Link lay motionless on the battered and cracked floor. The cavernous hall shook and the sound of collapsing walls and ceilings echoed throughout the castle. A nearby stained-glass window shattered, spilling shards onto the already beleaguered floor. Finally, the hero stirred.

Groaning, Link opened his blood-caked eyes, only to see blurs. His eyesight slowly came into focus and he tried to sit up. "Urgh, damn," he muttered. His body was shaking violently and pain was coursing through him in endless waves. He reached for a bottle in one of his many pockets, biting his bottom lip to keep from screaming in pain as his arm and chest protested against the effort.

He pulled out a bottle containing a fairy. "I should've used you from the start, eh?" he said, chuckling weakly. He crawled to a wall, wincing every second. The hero gripped a support and yelled as he tried pulling himself up while his legs felt like they would give way and just break off. He opened the bottle and the fairy wound its way around him, healing the most serious of his injuries: his broken wrist and ribs, his bruised head and chest and the many cuts he had acquired.

When the fairy disappeared, Link's body no longer shook and he could breathe with little pain, but he was exhausted, tired, and worn-out.

_They all mean the same thing,_ he thought. _Oh well…it was my fault._

He picked up the Master Sword and his Mirror Shield before making his way out of Ganondorf's castle. Great chunks of the building fell, sometimes nearby, but the castle held up until the blonde man made it outside. For a moment, as he crossed the bridge, he considered going to the Great Fairy whose sanctuary was close, but he wanted to see what was going on in Castle Town.

His wish was granted in the worst way.

Although the ReDeads were gone from the square, Hylian soldiers and the evil king's minions were everywhere to be seen. And to further the oddity, everything was completely still. Nothing moved; no movement from those who were frozen in mid-step, or from those whose weapons were heading into their target.

It was macabre to see war and death so vividly and in such overwhelming silence.

Suddenly remembering his fairy, Navi, Link pulled off his hat. The frozen fairy tumbled out, landing on the cobbled stone with a quiet thud. Slightly panicked, the boy picked her up. She was still glowing at least, a sign that she was alive.

Yet, he had no time to investigate further. A flash of silver caught his eyes and the young man jumped. _Something moved…_ He stuffed Navi back into his hat and looked around. Tendrils of hair whipped around a corner and the man took off, forgetting his pain.

He ran through the market, alleys melting into one as he passed monotonous shops and houses, while catching only glimpses of his quarry. _Long hair, light footsteps,_ he thought,_ a girl? What is she doing in a place like this?_

Link turned one last corner and saw her standing still by the wall of a house, back turned to him. He would've thought she had frozen like the rest of the people had her silvery-blonde hair not been fluttering while draping down to her waist, covering the intricately lined, but drab grey dress that ran down to her knees. Her skin was remarkable, at least of what Link could see. It was of a pale tone, with an ethereal glow. Her sandals were laced up her delicate calves, embracing every curve, much like the sleeves of her dress. She kept her arms loose along her side. It took several minutes before the boy took in his surroundings. The girl stood precisely where he had seen first seen death and the events came brutally back to mind.…

As a child, he had seen Zelda, princess of Hyrule, and Impa, her protector, flee from Ganondorf's clutches. Link had tried to slow him down and had partly succeeded, but the evil king had left the boy in pursuit once more. The young Kokiri had then looked for the object he had seen Zelda throw into the moat, the Ocarina of Time. Finding it, he had gone to Castle Town, looking for the Temple of Time that Zelda had told him of. He had found a soldier instead, leaning against the wall of the same alley he was now in.

With his last breath, the soldier had told him of Zelda's wishes and that he should go to the Temple of Time, across the square. He had laid motionless, dead upon the cold ground. Since that faithful day, Link felt agonizing guilt whenever he saw death.

Thinking that the girl would choose to dishonor his memory of the soldier, he reached for his sword.

"Don't be mad, Link," the girl spoke before turning to face him, revealing crimson lips and storm-cloud eyes. "Just as the soldier gave you the information you needed, I will do so as well."

His hand dropped to his side as his anger faded into nothingness. She was honoring this dreadful death, he knew that now. He felt curiosity claim him. "Who are you?" Link asked quietly. "Why do you still move when others cannot?"

She faintly smiled and walked up to him. "Because the powers of a goddess can do as much, Hero of Time," she answered, smile growing as she stared at his awestruck face.

"I am Myria, Goddess of Time and hidden sister of the Golden Goddesses. I created the Ocarina and the Temple of Time. And, when no other choice but destruction remained, I sealed the Sacred Realm behind the Door of Time." She frowned for a few seconds, looking away before saying, "Too many 'times'. I will need to do something about that soon."

Link chuckled. "That would be wise."

She stared directly into his eyes, leaving no place for any humor. "Yes, it would be. Link, I am sorry, but once more, you must sleep."

"Wha-!"

He never got to finish his exclamation, as full lips met his. All at once, he felt groggy, losing consciousness. As darkness wrapped itself around him, he heard, "Please forgive me, Hero of Time."

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**Myria is mine. Something else too, but I forget...**

**A big thanks to The Dmgirl for being my beta and putting up with lack of writing skills. A big thanks to anyone who reviews, too.**

**(Which means that I want you all to review!)**


	5. Returns and Leavings

**Sorry for the long wait, beloved readers. I wanted to deliver quality, and it don't come cheap! Anyway, yes, I did update.**

**Disclaimer applies, and thanks to my beta, The Dmgirl, for putting up with my lack of appreciable talent.**

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Link watched Aryll race to the end of the dock, while the King of Red Lions settled himself on the opposite edge, near the boy's boat. Despite the urgency clearly marked all over the proud figurehead, the boat was obviously having a hard time suppressing his urge to laugh. The water was rippling around him.

"S-sorry…big bro-brother," Aryll gasped, doubled over. "Didn't…didn't mean to… surprise you… like that." She stood up and took several deep breaths. "Sorry," she repeated.

The boat spoke before Link could respond. "Nothing to apologize for, miss." A deep chortle burst out and he added, "At least the poor boy is awake this time." Aryll glanced at the figurehead curiously.

Link let out an exasperated groan and climbed up the ladder that touched the water. Sitting down near the other two, he said, "Now that my bath is over…" His voice faded away as he stared directly at the boat, frowning.

The young girl watched the two figures: a seemingly-alive boat still quivering with mirth and an adolescent hero rigidly upright. "What's going on?" she asked the King of Red Lions.

The boat slowly stopped moving. "Ah…yes," he said hesitantly, "you must be wondering why I've returned, Link. And you too, miss," he added, afraid of being discourteous to the young girl.

Link's frown deepened and lines creased his forehead while he waited for the King to continue.

"I'm here, because…because the goddesses call upon you once more," he explained, pulled this way and that in the slight wind

"And who am I to deny them their will?" he drawled sardonically, something he almost never did in conversations.

_Why is he acting so cold?_ Aryll thought. Link was usually very polite, distant, at times, but always civil. And she knew that he had always had the deepest respect for the King of Red Lions. She pulled away from her thoughts on her brother, though, when she realized what the boat had said about the goddesses. "Are you leaving again?" she nervously asked.

He glanced at her gently before looking back at the boat slowly rising and falling through the waves. "I don't know. Am I?" he asked. The icy edge in his voice shocked the young girl.

"It's Ganon, Link. You know the answer. You know his abilities, the destruction he has caused before. We must reach Forest Haven by noon the day after tomorrow," he said. "The Great Deku Tree has had a terrible dream, and he has made it known that it is of the utmost importance."

The hero snorted, very much unimpressed. "What about dreams? What is so important when I have dreams, too?"

"He has not dreamt since he was a sprout five hundred years ago."

"Whoa…" Aryll breathed, eyes wide.

Link froze for a moment, completely taken aback. "Then I guess it means something," he choked out in amazement.

XxXxXxXxX

"You're sure you have to go?" the young girl asked for the hundredth time. At least, that's what it felt like to Link. Yes, Aryll definitely had talent in annoying people. Even if she refused to accept that she was.

"_Yes, Aryll. Please, stop asking_." He said through gritted teeth. The boy was currently rummaging through the many boxes and chests scattered around their small home, trying to recover his gear from the first adventure. It was nearly dangerous work, having cut his hand on the Hero's Sword when he found it and almost falling off the second floor when he yanked out the Iron Boots.

Now he was engrossed in looking for the Hookshot from the Wind Temple. _Where is that thing?! I thought I left it here!_

"AHA! Here's the royal pain!" he cried out from within a giant chest behind his grandmother's bed. "Knew I left it here. Now where is that damn -sorry grandma- hammer?" he muttered. He tossed the hookshot on his bed where most of his things were already scattered about.

Melise watched her grandson quietly, blankly. They had finished supper in silence when Link had blurted out that he was leaving again. That her young grandson of thirteen years old, a hero, would have to face danger again. That she would not be able to watch over him. That he would be lying somewhere de… It was too much to take…

She heard him tell Aryll that their shield was staying as he still had the Mirror Shield. He was taking the sword, though.

She saw him tumble down the ladder and get up triumphantly holding the Grappling Hook before his sister chastised him for being reckless.

She heard him cry out before a bomb exploded upstairs, knocking something to the floor with a loud thump.

And she saw little Aryll chastise her brother again for being reckless. Melise just couldn't find it in herself to focus.

Even when Link was in front of her, fully dressed in the Hero's Clothes, she couldn't acknowledge his leaving. "I'm sorry, but you know I have to. Please, don't be mad," he pleaded and held his arms out for a hug, but she didn't listen; she ignored him. It was foolish, he thought, to hope that she would understand. That he was used to the danger. The risk that came with him leaving. It was leaving his family behind in the dark that hurt him the most.

But how could they understand the danger Ganon posed? All they knew was that he kidnapped Aryll and some other girls. They didn't know what he was capable of. They didn't know how incredibly close the evil wizard came to snuffing out Link's life.

Aryll watched them sadly from the window, as Link dropped his hands on either side. The young girl was the only one to notice the hurt in the young hero's eyes as he began to make his way to the door, stealing glances behind him. This was no way to part. He just wished his grandmother would understand why.

"Good-bye," he whispered before he left.

"Good-bye," she answered after he left.

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**Enjoy? I thought so. Read and Review.**


	6. Ominous Night

**So sorry for not updating sooner! Many things happen, and well, you know.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter, read and enjoy.**

It took Aryll only a few minutes to run after and catch up with Link. He stood there, arms folded over his chest, at the end of the dock, beside the unmoving King of Red Lions. A faint smile appeared on his face when she skidded to a stop and froze. He was expecting her.

"Knew you would come," he said softly and dropped his arms. Aryll's face screwed up and she ran into him, holding him tightly as she quietly sobbed into his tunic. He hugged her, letting his sister have the moment she denied herself earlier.

_It might be the last time,_ he thought wistfully.

Aryll finally pulled away, still sniffling, and looked up at him. "You're really going?" she asked sadly.

Link nodded solemnly. "I have to," he admitted. "I wouldn't let anyone else go, and nobody else would be able to do it." His right hand twitched subconsciously as he spoke. Aryll turned away.

"Listen to me," he told her. "Continue your lessons with Orca and Sturgeon. Keep Grandma safe. That's what I need you to do right now." His hand turned her face back to him, but her eyes still looked away. She didn't want him to see her in pain. She had to be strong for him, right?

"I'll try to come back," he promised. Tears welled up in her eyes. "That's all I can give you, for now. That's the only thing that I can promise. I will try to come back."

The tears broke free and she started crying again, realizing for the first time the possibility that he might never return. That he would not come back to her and Grandma.

Link pulled her into another hug, whispering all the comfort he could give into her ear. "Be brave, Aryll," he murmured and pulled away.

She watched him calmly step into the boat, a practiced maneuver for a sailing veteran.

"Are you ready, Link?" the King asked.

The boy nodded. "Yes," he sighed, hoisting up the sail. A headwind caught and pushed them out to sea, away from home. Waves broke against the King's prow, illuminated by the waning crescent slowly slipping below the horizon. The hero turned around to see his sister standing by the watchtower, waving farewell at him, blonde hair gleaming in the silvery light. She faded from view much too quickly.

Link noted the speed they were traveling at. _Just right,_ he thought. There was no need to rush. The wind whipped around, calming him. It was almost perfect, sailing at night, but then he remembered why he was even out and his peace of mind was tempered.

"Feeling it all come back to you, eh?" the King asked pleasantly, as though he were trying to lighten a dark mood.

The boy started. Almost basking in the simple pleasure of being at sea, he had forgotten the figurehead. "A little bit," he replied. "Where have you been, Daphnes?" he asked the boat.

"_Do not use that name!"_ the King snapped.

Link was more than just a little thrown off at the sharp tone. He had taken to calling the King by his true name ever since he had revealed himself to the boy and Tetra. It was something the King of Red Lions seemed to tolerate, and had certainly never discouraged. Quickly though, Link's temper, always close, rose. "Why not?"

"I cannot answer you right now, but," he added, sensing the hero's retort, "I will soon explain everything I can. The reason I returned, the summons to Forest Haven, everything. First, I must ask, before we cross the borders of Outset," the boat said, coming to a stop, and faced him. "Have you yourself had strange dreams? Did you ever feel a sharp pain in your hand or a tingling sensation? Can you sense a mood about the ocean?"

Link leaned against the rudder, staring at the stars overhead in thought. "A few days ago, I felt my hand seize up. I thought it was a cramp. Felt like one," he added defensively. "And my dreams haven't been all that good since... last year," he quickly amended.

Looking across the near-black sea around them, he said, "The sea feels the same. A little restless, maybe, but then, I have never seen the sea perfectly calm before. There's always that sense of movement and urgency." He turned back to the figurehead. "Why do you ask?"

The King of Red Lions bowed his head in contemplation. "There is much to ponder, Link. You must tell the Great Deku Tree everything about the pain in your hand at the council. _Everything_," he emphasized.

Link gawked. "Council?"

Sighing impatiently, the boat said, "The Great Deku Tree has called a council to the Forest Haven of the powers in the Great Sea to discuss this situation. I understand that the Rito chieftain will attend, and as for your people, a delegation will come from Windfall."

"This isn't just about Ganon, is it?" he asked warily.

"The Great Sea teeters on the edge of war, Link," the king said ominously. "A war that may end up destroying us all."

**Yes, this story will be darker than the tripe that came before it.**

**Many thanks to those who have reviewed, review, and will review. Thanks once more to The Dmgirl for beta-ing.**

**NOW REVIEW!!**


	7. Island Affair

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This is by far my favorite chapter, if only because I get to torment the poor Hero of Time. You'll also notice that I actually have built a timeline of the events this go-around, so enjoy my dedication to doing a good job for you.

**I'll leave you to your business now...**

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Azure eyes opened to the brilliantly lit sky. The intense sun glared down on the small island on which a disgruntled young man woke.

_Damn_, the eyes' owner thought, _still here. _So it hadn't been a dream then. He was still in his personal hellhole.

Link sat up, thoroughly displeased, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes along with whatever had crawled into his eyes the night before. His legs still felt weak after so much time, and he tentatively stood up, wishing for the best. Yesterday, he had managed to get into a squat before he collapsed.

He fell down with an audible plop onto the sand. _Curse Ganondorf,_ he thought,_ he'll pay for this one._

The injuries of his fight lingered still. Strained muscles all over, several fractures and breaks throughout with quite possibly just-healing broken ribs, the young man was in a horrible state. He knew all too well that he should be thanking fate and the Goddesses and even the fairy that he had risen so far, instead of silently cursing everything in sight, but he felt better after doing the latter.

For three bloody days he had been stuck here on this wretched island, only able to gnash his teeth while waiting for his body to fully heal under the shade of an odd-looking tree.

Only the most severe of his hurts, including a deep gash in his skull, had been remedied by the fairy's magic and the heat and humidity did nothing to help his temper ever at the ready.

Navi floated out from under his hat, twinkling with concern. "How do you feel, Link?" she hesitantly asked him. A twinge of guilt passed through the hero; he had been frustrated, angry, and took it out on who or whatever unfortunately annoyed him.

With a calming sigh, he replied with a small smile, "Better, Navi, thank you." He looked around at the island and the ocean that surrounded them. It was small, to say the least. Link could see the opposite shoreline clearly. His fairy companion had told him that, from high up, the island resembled a heart shape. There wasn't much grass, as the shoreline and sand took up almost the entirety of the dry land.

The main feature, though, was the massive pink boulder in the middle of the island. It was hollowed out and there was a small hole in the niche. Link had discerned a trace of powerful magic emanating from the shell and, in his weakened state, had opted to stay away from it.

_No use trying to save Hyrule if I die somewhere else_, he said. He was lucky, really. If it hadn't been for his exposure to magical energy, he might have blundered in and got himself killed by whatever was inside. Rather brutally, he imagined, with many open wounds, broken bones, and rivers of blood. Morbid thoughts, yes, but if it meant living for a while longer, to hell with morbidity and cowardice. He still had a job to do and he wanted to be around to do it.

Navi, however, was constantly trying to get him into the hole, badgering him endlessly.

Speaking of which, "Why don't you try getting into the shell, Link?"

He groaned, hoping to avoid a row. "I can barely walk, Navi!" _So much for that plan._

What the little fairy said next took him completely by surprise.

"I'll lend you some strength if you'll just investigate, Link!" she cried shrilly.

The Kokiri- I mean Hylian- dumbly stared. "E- excu- excuse me?!"_ She never bothered to do this why?!_

Her color changed rapidly, shifting from blue to yellow and then to- for the first time, he noted- purple. She was nervous, anxiously so, if she cast a purple light.

After taking a moment to reflect, he replied, "Okay?"

He gathered his things and clothes (at least the sun was good for something) and crawled to the only tree nearby. Pulling himself up, he watched as Navi whirled around him, glowing a brighter blue-white than she normally did. Link felt power course through his body, brushing aside his pain, strengthening him. Navi settled herself on top of his head, still glowing brightly.

With almost a spring in his step, Link stood up and walked towards the small niche in the side of the boulder. It felt nice to be able to walk around, though walking into a hidden cavern was not his idea of a pleasant stroll.

"Why do you want me to go in so badly?" he asked his small partner. "Servant of Ganondorf luring me into a trap?" he queried with an eyebrow rising into his shaggy locks and his mouth curling into a grin.

Navi, too tired to really reply, only said, "felt familiar you goof-ball..."

The young man shrugged, and stepped into the hole, swallowed up by the darkness.

He opened his eyes, expecting to see monsters of every sort fly at him and only saw an opulent cavern with a pinkish-blue light emanating from everywhere. Against the far wall was a large shell, opened to reveal a small pool.

Baffled, Link only registered that the cavern very much resembled a Great Fairy's fountain. _No wonder it felt so familiar to Navi,_ he thought. He came up to the shell and peered into the shimmering water. It was so clear, like a mirror and window at the same time.

"_Hello, Link, it's been a while_," said an airy voice that echoed throughout the chamber.

Link's arm shot to his sword, ready to draw when Navi's energy gave out. A deep surge of pain blew away his strength and he collapsed onto the floor. Glaring, Link looked to the shell, waiting for his enemy to appear.

Floating above the shell was a strange being. It looked most like a four-armed woman with dark skin. Her (was it even a 'her'?) hair was a shocking white and blue eyes twinkled merrily. She was apparently wearing a pink-green-grayish dress that fell down...to her non-existent legs. The dress merely wound its way down in a spiral as though she didn't have legs.

He stared, any sense of courtesy and propriety gone. There really wasn't anything else he could do anyway in this state. Besides, he'd never met a creature quite like this.

"_Ah... I see you do not recognize me, or my power,_" she said to him. "_I'm almost hurt... if it weren't for the fact that you always had notoriously poor memory,_" she added with a tiny smile.

Perfect, now she was teasing him in his moment of weakness. He wasn't that bad at remembering things!

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

Her laugh was musical, and she replied, "_I'm a Great Fairy, a power of the Great Sea._" The fairy looked him over, and added lightly, "_It appears that you need help, Hero of Time._" She softly chuckled when he struggled to glare and sit at the same time only to fail miserably.

_Understatement of the century, and quite possibly millennium,_ he thought of her words.

A burst of magic fell from the endless ceiling onto him, enveloping him in a pleasing warmth. Now _she_ had power. His injuries simply faded away, healed in less time than it would take a papercut to stop bleeding. His bones mended and reset, while his bruises and cuts vanished. His strained and sore muscles relaxed.

He stood up, surprised. This was new.

"_Do not worry Link,_" she said to him. "_You are renewed. I think it better, though, that you begin your quest. It does not do to stay hidden away. It was a fate that was never meant for the Hero of Time._"

Before Link could even begin to question her about his "quest", a second burst of magic surrounded him and whisked him away.

The Great Fairy gazed at the spot where the hero had been. "_No, he hasn't changed at all._"

**Did you enjoy? Now, to let me know if you did, press that little button to review.**

**As always, a thanks to my beta, The Dmgirl, for putting up with my stupidity, and to those who read and review my story.**


	8. Of the Healer

**Yo, readers and reviewers. Missed me? No? Damn...now I'm depressed...**

**Well, anyway, sorry for the long delay. Couldn't get in touch with my beta, and, well, I don't much fancy having to post without her sage advice. So, anyway, if you're wondering where Zelda is, don't. Her chapter is coming soon...I think. Maybe another three chapters and then she appears. Er, anyway, enjoy this chapter.**

**As always, disclaimer applies.**

**XxXxX**

The healer watched the young man squirm uncomfortably in his sleep. He had already slept through one full day and it was close to midnight now. Her neighbors had brought him bruised, bloody and broken to her doorstep. A mob of drunken sailors, disgruntled with the troubles across the Great Sea, had ambushed him after he had supposedly appeared out of nowhere in a flash of white light.

_Alcohol really does mess with the head,_ she thought.

"Excuse me, Alanna?" said a timid voice from behind her- the sole maid of the house and her assistant, Deirdre. "Doc Bandam is here to deliver his potion for the boy."

The healer, Alanna, nodded to the maid and quickly went down the steps to retrieve the medicine. When Alanna took the bottle, the eccentric potion-maker opened his mouth to speak, but she was already climbing back up to her patient's room. The shy maid gave him an embarrassed apology for her brusqueness, but he only sighed in reply, "I know, I know" before going back to his shop to make more.

Alanna pulled up a chair and sat beside the sleeping man, observing his appearance. There was a bruise under his left eye, several cuts along his forehead and he was missing a tooth. He was remarkably strong, she thought. The sailors who had attacked him were currently under Doria's care nursing concussions and severe bruises from his apparently superhuman fists. (She guessed it was the gauntlets he had worn. That gem in the center was well-known for its magical properties.)

Alanna had managed to stop most of the bleeding in the beginning, and had washed out the blood caked in his blond hair. Now she was just waiting to change his bandages from the ax-wound in his back while the potion she held was to be administered when he woke up.

He was mumbling, she noticed, coming out of her thoughts. His face was screwed up in pain and Alanna leaned in closely to catch his words.

"_No...don't hurt...her.._" He started shifting around._"Get away! GET AWAY!_" he roared and Alanna fell back, missed her chair and tumbled to the floor with a shrill yelp.

XxX

Link shot up, gasping for air. His eyes warily looked around for any presence of Ganondorf or his monsters. Zelda was hurt; he needed to save her!

He only found one sheepish young woman sitting on the floor next to his bed. He stared with mild interest as the stranger slowly clambered back on to her chair, wincing when she sat down.

"Okay...that hurt," she mumbled softly to, apparently, herself.

The hero looked over the young woman. Caramel-brown hair down to her shoulders. A regal face with bright green eyes. She obviously worked long hours, judging by the shadows in her eyes. Currently she was massaging her backside, oblivious to the awakened blond.

"Ah! You're awake!" she exclaimed when she took notice. "Good! Now we can really get your recovery in order!" She stood up, ignorant of the confused look on her patient's face. She bustled about, pulling out rags from the drawer beside his bed.

Link looked around. It wasn't a small room. It was definitely bigger than those he had seen in Kokiri Forest and Kakariko Village. It had the same air of luxury that was present in Castle Town. His bed was on the opposite corner from the door to his right. There was a book case along the wall, separated from the foot of the bed by a small space. He made out a small chair on the other side. The window to his right was was darkened by curtains. The window, under which lay the bed let in little light from the moon. The silvery glow was drowned out by the candlelit ornament hanging from the ceiling.

_Now that's something new,_ he thought. True, he'd never seen anything like it before. The flames were burning without much smoke. Alanna took some things out of a closet against the opposite wall. There was the chair she sat on, and the drawer next to him. There was a small rug, but no paintings, like he remembered in some homes, in the room. His tongue roamed around his mouth while he looked around; since when was there a gap in his teeth?

"There, now I have everything for you." she announced, holding up her medical supplies.

Link, bemused by all this, simply stared at her.

"Hm?" she murmured. "Don't just sit there like an idiot (to which he glared back)! Take off your shirt. I need to change your bandages. That ax took a chunk out of your shoulder". The woman watched the young man quickly look over his wound in surprise.

Of course, leave it to him to not feel a thing. He rarely did unless it was a severe injury.

She pursed her lips in annoyance. "If you won't do it yourself, I'LL do it," and she started scrabbling at the hem of his shirt, trying to, if anything, rip it off his body. Link jumped, fending off her mad attack.

"Ah, hey! Watch it! Get off me!" he shouted, trying to push the woman off him.

Which he did. She once again wound up falling to the floor, knocking the gathered supplies off the chair she had set them on.

"Just what is your problem?" she cried out, wincing at her sore backside.

"I don't know about you," Link said, "but where I'm from, we usually give each other's names before this sort of intimacy!" His face turned a brilliantly deep shade of scarlet as he finished.

Flushed and annoyed, the woman held out her hand. "Alanna, and this isn't _intimacy_, as you so adequately put it," she sniffed.

"Erm, right, I'm Link," he said warily, shaking her hand. He was in no position to take chances. The scramble had revealed to him the fact that his trousers were mysteriously missing and Alanna was avoiding his gaze as she sat down on the bed. "Why are you sitting so close?" he blurted out.

_The nerve of him! _Incensed, she shouted, "I've twenty-five years of age and happily married, you d-!"

Link's face was now only mere inches from her face and her mouth shut in surprise. She should have just sat down on the chair instead of his bed. "Hm, doesn't look like you're lying. That edge in your eyes gives it away," he mumbled mostly to himself. "Still, that redness is not natural...urk!"

Annoyed, that was the word. Alanna had pushed him up against the wall, gasping as she stared him in the eyes. "Listen you dolt, I'm your bloody healer, so if that means I have certain..._liberties_ such as having to remove a shirt, I will use them because in case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to save your life! So follow my directions unless you want POISON IN YOUR WATER!"

"Ahem," came a small cough from the doorway.

_Now what?!_She asked herself before turning around to see her assistant standing there, fiddling with her hands.

"Mistress? Um, Doria is at the door." Deirdre timidly said. Only then did the healer take notice of the scene that the poor maid was witnessing.

For starters, Link was (un)appropriately disheveled and the bed covers were offering a glimpse of his legs. His shirt collar rode low, baring his toned neck and chest. Alanna finally noticed the fact that Link was unfortunately very handsome and the room was darkened a bit by the moon's setting.

To top it all off, Alanna was enticingly on all fours, close to Link's face, flushed, and breathing heavily. It didn't help matters that one hand clenched Link's loose shirt.

_If she had only come in a few seconds ago,_ she thought to herself. With a groan, the brunette clambered off the bed and walked out of the room, pausing before she closed the door to glare at Link, who merely sat there with a satisfied smirk.

**XxXxX**

**Well, now, isn't that interesting? What could have summoned Alanna away from the injured Link?**

**Read and Review. Because I have connections, and if you don't review...**

**I'll cry. Or blubber. Or come after you with a mob holding torches and pitchforks.**


	9. The Council Begins

**I decided to upload and update now to avoid a conflict of schedule. Suffice it to say that the next chapter will be important in more ways than one.**

**If needs be, I will change this chapter, so be on the lookout for any alterations that I may make.**

**I'd like to thank everyone who has so far reviewed, and special thanks goes out to my beta, The Dmgirl, who really has helped put this story in clear perspective. Now read on...**

They sailed on, Link and the King of Red Lions, after that night, trading sparse words the entire time.

Dawn came on the second day and Link paused for a moment as the boat slowed to a stop. He needed to stretch his sore muscles. Hunched over a rudder and then jumping like mad to tame a sail when the wind whipped it around could tire one out. It was alright when the wind cooperated with them, but nowadays they seemed more and more troubled.

Was it the talk he and the king had that led him to believe the trouble or were the sea and wind truly agitated? He was annoyed by his blindness to the truth. He should have been aware of the turmoil, but no, he had ignored it for his own inner turmoil. There was no other word for it.

He had been careless and selfish.

"Link," the boat said dejectedly, breaking the boy out of his thoughts. "At this rate, we won't be able to make it to the Forest Haven in time." The proud figurehead, surprisingly, was looking faintly afraid and, though the king would adamantly deny it later, green.

"And?" the young hero asked nonchalantly. "Wait..." His eyes narrowed as he remembered something long left alone. "You mean you _want_ me to use the Ballad of Gales?" he asked incredulously. Now that was new. The king hated that melody.

Pained, the boat snapped, "Yes! Just use the thrice cursed melody! We _must_ reach the Forest Haven!"

Smirking a bit, Link pulled out the Windwaker, remembering the gloriously squeamish look on the King of Red Lions' face when Cyclos had given the boy the melody.

"Let's see," he muttered, trying to remember the lesser-used tune. He always preferred sailing when time could be sacrificed- which the king thoroughly appreciated. "Down, right...hn... left, and up." He felt the ancient magic in the baton awaken as the ethereal music played around them.

A whirling cyclone sped down from the otherwise clear sky, winding around the pair and sweeping them away. No matter how hard he tried to resist, the high winds forced his eyes closed, and thus he missed when they landed. When he felt it was safe to open them, Link saw that he was only a short distance away from the main island and only several minutes at most had passed. They drifted the rest of the way over, and Link jumped from the boat to the small bit of land that was easily accessible.

The blond was jogging away, almost out of earshot, when the King of Red Lions called out, "I'm involved in this council as well! Help me up the island, Link!"

Link groaned audibly._ Leave it to the talking boat to make things harder!_

The boy turned around and came back down the shore. He took hold of the boat, and, with the strength given to him by the Power Bracelets, lifted the king over his head. It wasn't especially hard to carry the seemingly light boat up the steep terrain; it was having to deal with the Boko Babas that were still around.

_I guess the Deku Tree needs someone to protect him,_ Link thought. It was the only reasonable option. The Great Deku Tree was more than capable of snuffing out their lives, but he could not use much of his power beyond that.

He climbed up to the shore of the stream that cascaded over the craggy island. It was a nice surprise to realize that there were no Octoroks around to knock him out. Even better was the series of small bridges built on top of the islands that resisted the forceful stream. _Probably for the council members._

"Hello Wind-Waker!" shouted a cheery voice. Link dropped the King with a loud thump and drew his sword and shield.

"Heh, heh, twitchy little kid, aren't you?" said another similar voice. Link whirled around (almost taking the king's head off) and was met with the twin gazes of the wind deities, Zephos and Cyclos; frog-like beings who came up to just under Link's shoulder. Zephos was the more patient of the pair, and his calm green reflected his temperament, but Cyclos's red blatantly told of his fiery temper. Both sat upon respectively colored clouds, shifting in the slight wind. They had both, in one way or another, given him a melody to use on his Windwaker. Speaking of which...

"I still don't see why I have to share the same title as a glorified stick," he replied with a smirk as he sheathed his sword.

Cyclos merely huffed his response, but Zephos waved a green hand around and said, "You _are_ the Wind-Waker now, Link. That 'glorified stick' as you call it, will now only reveal its power when held by the true bearer, that is, YOU. Didn't I explain this to you already?" he added with a bite of impatience and incredulity.

"Erm..." the boy only muttered.

"He has the same look Alondra had when she was told of her title, brother," Cyclos said nostalgically. "Same ridiculous expression. Always got into trouble, she did...must be old and gray by now, if she hasn't met an unfortunate end or the wrong people..." the temperamental deity's voice trailed away as he lost himself in memories.

The other three only stared at the red frog as he bobbed up and down on his cloud.

The King of Red Lions was the first to break the silence. "Yes, well, Cyclos, I do believe that we need to go inside, so if you would let us both pass," he suggested impatiently but respectfully.

He broke out of his reminiscent reverie with an actual pop. "Oh! Sorry about that. Alondra had been my favorite before she forfeited the title." He scooted away, leaving the path clear, and Link lifted the boat once more and walked away.

The brothers walked behind them, muttering and whispering things that Link couldn't hear. The bridges were wooden, to be expected from the Forest Haven, but it was the intricacy that led the young hero to believe it magic, not craftsmanship, that was responsible for the ornate work. Patterns traced along the handrails, soft to the touch as he found out when he paused for a break, and the wood he tread upon was unusually dense and strong.

He stepped lightly onto the calm pool that marked the entrance to the Haven itself and walked inside.

* * *

The inside of the giant tree that made up Forest Haven was very much the same as he remembered. In fact, the only thing that had changed was the rampant activity inside the usually calm Haven. Koroks, children of the Deku Tree, flew about in excited chatter while several people from Windfall, a few of whom he recognized, milled about, watching the flora of the Haven with interest. The forest fireflies were lighting up in new and brighter colors. And the guardian of the Forest Haven, the Great Deku Tree, was talking away with... Valoo, the guardian of Dragon Roost Island, and Jabun, the exiled guardian of Greatfish Isle. The large dragon was settled besides the tree, using his long neck to speak with his equal. Jabun, the large fish, was in a pool that should have been too shallow for him; that is, until Link noticed the slight sloping of the ground and the small dam that had trapped the water inside.

He set the boat down, but before he could call out to Jabun as to why he had left Outset, a pair of spears blocked his way to the giant fish.

He looked up to see the faces of Skett and Akoot, proud warriors of the Rito and the Chieftain's personal guard. Though they smiled at the hero, there was a tension behind the familiarity and Link wondered why.

"Stand down, you two," said a newer, younger voice. The two guards pulled away to reveal a young, but regal, Rito. It was Komali, the chieftain's son... except he was wearing the robes of his father, and in taking in his appearance, Link bowed his head. The was only one reason the son of the Chieftain would wear the robes of his father...

Softly, Komali spoke, "What is done, is done, Link. Grieve briefly for those who lived nobly and lament our loss. He did what he felt was right."

The Great Deku Tree chose that moment, right as the boy was about to ask what he meant, to boom out, "I CALL THE COUNCIL TO ORDER! THE COUNCIL OF THE GREAT SEA IS CALLED TO ORDER!"

**Now you may review...**


	10. The Council

**Here's my next chapter. Sorry I took so long, but it did give me a bit of trouble. I suppose that you can say that it's not as complete as I would like, but ultimately, you get to decide if it works or not, so -in a not so subtle hint- leave a review. Flames are laughed at, if I might add.**

**Disclaimer: Just in case anyone forgot. Or was stuck under a rock...**

**XxXxX**

Link and Komali both jumped in surprise at the booming voice of the Great Deku Tree. They watched as the visitors began to make their way from wherever they had been in the Haven towards the Forest Guardian.

Komali let Skett and Akoot go, and the hero watched as the two guards tucked away their spears and flew off to the high entrances above them. "They're keeping an eye out for any trouble," the Rito explained. "Them and four other guards, plus two ships from Windfall."

"Why so many?" Link asked in surprise. "Can't really be for just this council, can it?"

The two had started walking towards the members that were seated on the grass, caught up in the rush of others who had gone outside.

"It is," the boy chieftain answered while sighing heavily. "Don't know about the lack of guards in here when it comes to your race, but the Rito won't let me so much as cut my own food without a guard and a healer to watch my every move. Insufferable it is," he added wearily.

Komali shook his head and took his place next to Valoo, the Sky Guardian, along with a healer and a priest, leaving Link to wonder why he would mind such extensive protection. _Wouldn't have minded back-up in the Savage Labyrinth, that's for sure._

He sat away from them all, directly opposite the Guardians. The arrangement was a basic circle, but the Great Deku Tree, Jabun, and Valoo took up almost an entire half, while Zephos and Cyclos took places apart from each other, flanking the Guardians, Zephos next to Jabun, Cyclos to Valoo.

Link noted the Windfall visitors' positions beside the Rito, but who were those near the Sea Guardian?

A young woman with reddish hair saw him gawking at her and her companions. She frowned slightly when he didn't turn away, and she stood up, brushing dust away from her blue and green dress.

"Hello," she said calmly when she sat back down next to him.

The lighting inside the Haven must have been bad, or his eyes must not have yet adjusted, because she now seemed barely older than him!

"Er...hi," he replied quickly. "Who ARE you?" he blurted without thinking._ YOU IDIOT, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!_, mentally kicking himself. Aryll's etiquette lessons had apparently failed him.

The girl didn't seem to be surprised by his strange outburst. If anything, she looked exasperated. "Well, I shouldn't have expected a hero turned hermit to know that Greatfish Isle has been restored," she sighed. "Or that we've returned from the outer islands, beyond the borders of the Great Sea..."

The hero turned hermit flushed in embarrassment. "Heh...um, yeah, well, I couldn't really leave Outset...kind of hard to, actually, what with the supposed threat...hm?"

Looking around while grinning sheepishly, he finally noticed that the entire council was looking at him expectantly._ Bugger..._

The introductions had been brief. Mercifully so, but Link neither noticed or cared. He wanted to know what, exactly, was going on, and only the Great Deku Tree would be able to answer him. When the last of the Greatfish members sat back down, the Forest Guardian coughed, bringing attention back to himself.

"I, the Deku Tree and protector of the Forest Haven, called this meeting of the races and islands of the Great Sea, to impart the knowledge given to me by the Goddesses themselves." He paused for a moment, as the words sank in. The Golden Goddesses did not freely offer their knowledge of the world to the Guardians, much less a mortal.

"I'm quite certain that you all have heard the rumors that fly ear to ear, seen the troubles that dampen our peace, and feel the shift in the winds' gust and ocean's waves," he continued. "Darkness once again threatens the Great Sea. We stand, my friends and allies, on the brink of war."

The mood, until then recently light, had turned immediately wary, alert...frightened. Muttering broke out among the Windfall and Greatfish delegation. At that moment, it felt as cold as night.

"KOMALI!!" the Great Deku Tree suddenly boomed out, startling everyone, including Valoo, who promptly released a small burst of flame that quickly died out.

The Rito, a hard look on his face, stood up. "Yes, my lord?" he replied softly.

"Forgive my blunt question, but it is necessary. How did your father die?" the guardian asked. His leafy branches quivered expectantly, a leveled gaze directed at the young chieftain.

Komali glanced at the ground briefly, before answering, "Exploring the remnants of the Forsaken Fortress... A group of Moblins and Bokoblins attacked him and his guards...only Skett and Akoot escaped, unharmed... We lost five Rito that day..."

Heads bowed at the boy's loss. It was exceedingly difficult to slay a Rito, due to their honed strength, much less five, and the Chieftain's guard at that. _He lost his father,_ Link thought sadly,_ not just a leader._

"I see," the Great Deku Tree muttered. "And what did the two who escaped tell you of the exploration?"

Komali, struggling to maintain a respectable demeanor, answered, "Skett and Akoot could only say that they were not the monsters we are accustomed to. They were more powerful, more brutal... Skett said that through it all, morning had never come, even though they returned to Windfall days after they had left. It was as though night had come permanently to the island." He looked away from everyone and sat back down.

"Darkness, unending night, and a change in the winds, these have not come since Ganon's attempt at the Triforce," he muttered audibly.

"_GANON!?_" Link shouted, jumping to his feet, eyes flashing scarlet. "What does _he_ have to do with _this_?! I sealed him away under the sea in case anyone doesn't remember!"

The Great Deku Tree regarded him closely. "He has everything to do with this, Link. You are right, he is sealed under the sea, but Ganondorf is not."

"_What?_" came the question from the entire council. Even the King of Red Lions, who had been set near Zephos gawked in pure shock. "But, Great Deku Tree," the king said, "how is it possible? Aren't they one and the same?"

"Nay, the Golden Goddesses themselves have told me that this Ganondorf hails from the era of the Lost Kingdom of Hyrule, during the time of the Great Hero." The Great Deku Tree paused for breath. "The Ocarina of Time, treasure of the Royal Family, was taken from the Hero in battle...He is here, they tell me, to resurrect his future from beneath the waves, to bring our land back into darkness, perhaps even the world."

The council listened to his every word, faces impassive as they struggled to understand the severity of the situation. Every so often, one would turn to shock. Link himself was struggling to control his temper, fighting the urge to go to the Forsaken Fortress and challenge the evil wizard.

"I must say one more thing, friends and allies," he said gravely. "There is no power strong enough to destroy him save for the Master Sword. The might of the Guardians is nothing against his power, not while this Ganondorf still bears his Triforce of Power...Only the other two Triforces will stop him."

Muttering broke out among the members, mostly within the Windfall group, and they glanced every so often at the boy hero, whose face was set in a fierce glare.

"And my hand, Great Deku Tree?" Link spoke, holding out his left hand, marked with the Triforce, so that everyone could see. "Five days ago, I had a cramp in my left hand. The hand marked with the image Triforce of Courage. What do you make of that?" His face was stonily set.

The Great Deku Tree gazed at him. "Then the second part of their knowledge is true..." he mumbled. His face brightened a bit, and he answered, "The goddesses have revealed Ganondorf's intentions, but they also told me of the limited actions they could take to combat this darkness. If your marked hand reacted as you say it did-"

"It did," Link interjected quietly.

"-then the Goddesses have succeeded in bringing both the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny to the Great Sea."

Another gasp passed through the Council. The Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny who battled the Darkness in the Lost Kingdom! "When did we cross into lore and fairy tales?" came one voice that dripped in shock and disbelief. The next pronouncement, though, was the most surprising yet...

"UNKNOWN SHIPS APPROACH!! THEY BEAR THE BANNER OF THE EVIL KING!!"

**XxXxX**

**Thanks to The Dmgirl for beta-ing and point-ing out near-fatal flaws. Thanks to all those who review. And to all those who like my story but didn't review, "WTH?!" It's called anonymous reviews people, use 'em!**


	11. Darkness within and out

**Hye, everyone, so sorry for taking this long to post one measely little chapter. Well, it's not like I didn't have a good excuse. I just didn't have the time. ANYWAY, here is the first chapter of our favorite princess, so read and enjoy!**

**As always, disclaimer applies.**

**XxXxXxXxX**

_The darkness gathers... Evil has come to this world...wherever it is..._

She woke up with a start, her heart pounding, her breathing ragged. There was something wrong...somewhere. The young woman sat up, her ragged blanket falling to her waist. Her dream was vivid, surreal. Cool air swept around her as she stood up and walked out of the cave she inhabited.

It was a pleasant night, despite all her worries. The moon, slowly growing to a half, was low on the horizon, skimming the tops of the waves. She walked out onto the sandy shoreline, avoiding the rocks scattered around the island.

She lightly stepped onto the largest, a boulder a short distance from the cave entrance, settling herself away from the cliffs, towards the sea and the moon. Its silvery light flickered on the turbulent surface of the sea, like diamonds strewn across a black blanket. In that one instant she felt both a serene tranquility and a sharp pain in her heart, and it took little thought to figure out why. After all, how could she forget the emptiness both next to and within her?

There was someone she wanted with her, near her to gaze upon this beautiful landscape, so that she could share in its soothing calm. _I wish you were here..._ But no, that someone..._he wasn't here_.

Her fraying dress fluttered in the breeze. The silk edge, torn apart by grass and thorns when she scoured around for food, was halfway up her calf, and her slippers were thinning from the rough ground. Fittingly, the only edible food, a citrus that reminded her of an orange, was where the ground was roughest and the grass and thorns most destructive, tearing apart the regal fabric.

She had been stuck here on this island for five days. Five miserable, lonely days including the memorable first where she had sunburned from staying out for too long, wincing in pain when she moved throughout the night. The calming breeze of the sea was the only thing that had relaxed her then.

She couldn't even remember how she came to be here. She remembered the battle she had been witnessing, the clanging of metal against metal and the explosions of power that shook the tower that was her prison. And then darkness enveloped her from nowhere, lulling her to a deep slumber. She awoke in the cave she now used as shelter, covered in the ragged blanket. No one else lived here, came by here, or passed near here.

And ever since she had arrived, her dreams had become more pronounced, darker in tone...

xXxXx

_Again, she stood on the cliff. The warm salty air swept through her delicate nostrils. The sea breeze wrapped around her slender frame, brushing through the thin fabric of her dress and rustling her blond hair. She leaned against the wind, her striking blue eyes looking at the crashing sea while the waves disturbed the bright rays of the sun. The clouds were white and full, slowly trailing across the vibrant sky. The gulls were loud today, wheeling and diving in the air as they scanned the sandy beach for food. It was a beautiful scene._

_The young woman walked to the very edge of the grass cliff and peered below. The roaring waves crashed onto the rocky shoreline, but as she stood up, the earth gave an almighty lurch. She struggled to stay balanced and wildly looked around her. The white clouds had given way to towering black columns that blotted out the sun. The wind gusted fiercely, and the waves pummeled the shore, tossing rocks to and fro and dashing them against each other. Rain began to fall in a torrent, drenching her and chilling her body to the core. Lightning arced from cloud to cloud as the seagulls fled in terror. A single bolt lanced down and struck one gull, burning its body to ashes, before continuing down to the sea._

_The young woman screamed, running back down the path she had come up from. Her cave was close by, if she could just make it... Another bolt flashed before her wide eyes. In the afterglow, she saw two large figures before her, emanating pure evil..._

Again...her dream had come to her... She thought about the last few times that she had dreamt so vividly. The visions that would come to her in her sleep, disturbing her, confusing her.

There was nothing else, but the darkness that she could sense. She walked outside again in the moonlight toward her usual place, her ritual now since the first dream and the many that would plague her each night. The constant anxiety felt the same as when she had dreamt about _him_. That monster, who tried to take over her homeland, trying to kill her father, her mother, everyone she knew and loved._ Even him..._

The similarities were glaring, even if the setting was completely different. There was a powerful darkness somewhere, and death. The lone, unfortunate seagull that had fallen from the sky... he was someone important. She tucked an errant strand of golden hair behind her ear and looked across the wide ocean, gazing at nothing in particular.

And then her heart stopped.

There, just barely visible in the dim half-moon's light was the silhouette of a ship, a small flag atop the mast. In an instant she ducked beneath her rock, even though at this distance she wasn't remotely visible. Another few minutes and it was clear the ship was coming to this island. She stood up, heart suddenly pounding and ran for her cave. A small outcrop of rock hid the entrance from the ship's view, but if the young woman had her way, they would not find her at all.

From deep within her, she summoned her magic, wisdom she had acquired over time, and nudged several of the boulders to the entrance, piling them in front her. Her blue eyes glowed spectrally as she moved her hands, shifting one rock there, another to that spot.

As she finished, she left a small opening, just barely wide enough for someone of her frame to pass through. It was a draining task, and when she finished, she swayed and then fell to her knees. She hoped, before she fell unconscious, that she would be the only person to use it.

The feeble moonlight slipped inside, illuminating her limp form resting on the ragged blanket, the strange mark on her hand, and her prominent, pointed ears.

**XxXxXxX**

**Well now, it probably wasn't so obvious, but yes, it is who you think it is. Now, review, people, because I'm tired of looking at my email account and seeing nothing new to read!**

**Thanks go out to those who put up with me and my tardiness, not the least of whom is The Dmgirl.**


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